CUEVA DEL NIÑO OF AYNA

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38.540108, -2.156538

Type of site:
Cave

Place of location: Infierno Ravine. Mount Cuarto del Halcón.
Village/Town: Ayna
Municipality: Ayna (Albacete)
Region: Castilla-La Mancha
State: Spain
Telephone: (+34) 967 295 316 Tourism Office, (+34) 967 295 001 Town Hall of Ayna
Website: https://cultura.castillalamancha.es/patrimonio/catalogo-patrimonio-cultural/cueva-del-nino
E-mail: info@ayna.es

Natural Environment:

The Cueva del Niño is located on the bank of the Mundo River, between the peaks of Halcón (1232 m) and Albarda (1254 m), several kilometres upstream from Royo Odrea, the village of Ayna, and very close to the border with Bogarra. The cave is in the limestone hills of Sierra del Segura and Alcaraz, which are intensely folded in the Ayna area, shaping a very steep relief. The cave is in one of the ravines, Infierno Ravine, surrounded by woodland with pines and holm oaks. The local fauna includes ibex and golden eagles.

Archaeological evidences in the site:

Niño Cave fills an empty space in the distribution of Palaeolithic rock art. It is situated in a region between the sites on the Meseta (La Griega Cave in Segovia and Casares in Guadalajara) and Andalusia (La Pileta, Doña Trinidad. Nerja, Higuerón, Toro). The type of representations indicates that thematically the cave is closer to the Andalusian sites than to those on the Meseta.

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Opening Times:

The visit to the Cueva del Niño must be made with a guide. Starting from Ayna, it is 16 kilometres by car on the road, 2 kilometres of forest track and 45 minutes walking on a mountain path. It is necessary to take water, a torch and suitable footwear for hiking. The reservation of the excursion must be made several days in advance. For more information: Tourist Office. Tel: 967 29 53 16 or Town Hall of Ayna. Phone: 967 29 50 01

Booking and access:

By telephone: +34 967 295 316 /+34 967 295 001 By e-mail: turismoayna@sierradelsegura.com Personally: Office of Tourism. Major Plaza, 4 (Ayna).

Nearby cultural destinations:

Municipio de Ayna, Lietor, 24 Km.: Ermita de Belén, popular paintings, S.XVIII, Exconvento de Carmelitas, Santiago Apóstol church. Yeste, 54 Km.: Castle, Medieval Interpretation Center. https://ayna.es/

Nearby natural destinations:

Natural Park Calares del Mundo y la Sima. Birth and valley of the river Mundo. https://ayna.es/

Accommodations (Tourism Website):
https://turismoayna.es/ https://turismosierradelsegura.es/
Restaurants (Tourism Website):
https://turismoayna.es/ https://turismosierradelsegura.es/

Age of the artistic representations:

The figures inside can be attributed to the late Solutrean or early Magdalenian (18,000-14,000 years ago). The figures outside the cave are Neolithic.

General description of the destination:

The Palaeolithic paintings are distributed in two rooms. The main, southern panel of the cave, on the left wall from the entrance, consists of two splendid male deer, three hinds, a horse and two mountain goats, both at the ends of the composition, as if closing the structure, each with a spear stuck in its belly.
The second panel, located in the second room, shows a goat and a horse, very stylised and elegant in their lines and features, but very small in comparison with the previous panel, and a double serpentiform with horizontal lines in certain parts of their development.
The Levantine paintings are found in the shelter formed by the entrance to the cave. They are made up of two groups, located a few centimetres apart, and represent several archers in a fighting or hunting position.

History of the site:

The cave was always known locally. It owes its name to the inhabitants of the nearby villages, who called it the “Cueva de los Niñotes” in reference to the cave paintings, although they did not know what they were, or how important they were. The archaeological value of its paintings was discovered on 1 May 1970. A group of ramblers asked some elder local men to show them the cave, and when they entered they saw the art on its walls. They informed the Director of Albacete Museum and the Provincial Head of Fine Arts, Samuel de los Santos Gallego. Martin Almagro Gorbea was asked to assess the site and make sure it was correctly protected. In further visits, stone implements and pottery were found as evidence of an interesting archaeological deposit, and Levantine art was identified outside the cave entrance.

CUEVA DEL NIÑO OF AYNA

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